Releasing magnet for anti-theft devices for sales goods

ABSTRACT

A releasing magnet for anti-theft devices for sales goods with a permanent magnet and a housing having a disc-shaped collar and a fastener for securing the housing to a table. The housing is made of plastic and at least almost surrounds the permanent magnet which prevents corrosion and allows the releasing magnet to be washed so that its use is hygienic.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a release magnet for anti-theft devices formerchandise.

2. Description of Prior Art

Anti-theft devices, which are pushed through the articles to be secured,are known in commerce, in particular for merchandise, such as textiles,handbags, and the like. When the anti-theft devices are removed withoutauthorization, they damage or at least partially destroy the articles.For example, conventional anti-theft devices consist of a two-piecesecurity body, fastened on clothing when pushed through the clothing.These two parts can only be released if one of the parts, which hasautomatically clamping locking means, is placed for release into acup-shaped opening of a magnet. The locking means are thus magneticallyactuated, the clamping is released and the two parts can be separatedand removed from the material without damaging the material. The releasemagnets have a housing consisting of a disk-shaped collar which isscrewed together with a cylinder. The actual release magnet, a permanentmagnet, is clamped in the cylinder and secured from below by means of aplate screwed into the cylinder. All these elements are made of steel.At a top, the release magnet is secured by a press-fitted U-shaped covermade of a light metal or brass. These release magnets are inserted intoa through-bore in a table and screwed in from the bottom in such a waythat only the collar projects past the surface of the table and restswith an underside on the table top, without a space in between.

These release magnets are very expensive, since they have severalscrewed together parts. For exactly this reason they have no homogeneoussurface. The release magnets are difficult to clean and have a tendencyto corrode. The magnet is particularly prone to corrosion, sincehumidity and cleaning agents can penetrate between the cover of lightmetal or brass and the steel cylinder. Release magnets wherein thereleasable security elements meet the magnet directly and come intocontact with the magnet are also widely known. This often results indamage, and the highly corrosion-prone magnets are directly exposed todamaging effects from the outside.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is one object of this invention to create a release magnet of thetype mentioned which has fewer parts and is therefore cheaper and alsois so easy to clean that sanitary conditions are assured andmiscellaneous corrosion is prevented to a great degree.

This object is attained by this invention as described in the followingspecification and in the claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The release magnet for anti-theft devices in accordance with thisinvention will be described in what follows in connection with thedrawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top view of a release magnet;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the release magnet; and

FIG. 3 is a vertical cross sectional view of the release magnet.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Only the housing 20 of the release magnet 1 can be seen in the top viewof FIG. 1. The housing 20 has a round collar 21 and a round depression22 concentrically cut in the housing 20. The depression 22 correspondsin size to the elements of conventional magnetically releasableanti-theft devices. For releasing such an anti-theft device, it is knownto extend the part of the anti-theft device to be released into thedepression 22, whereupon the locking pin on the upper part of theanti-theft device can be pulled out of the released part.

The housing 20 is represented in the side view of FIG. 2. The housing 20has the collar 21 which, in the state where it is mounted on a table,rests on the table at an underside, wherein the other parts are insidethe table itself and are not easily accessible. A first cylindricalholder 26 adjoins the underside of the collar 21 and receives a magneticforce amplifying ring 11. The underside of the first holder 26 isadjoined by a second cylindrical holder 23. The cylindrical holder 23encloses the permanent magnet 10. Fastening means 27 are arrangedlaterally next to the second holder 23 and contact the second holder 23and the first holder 26. The fastening means 27 are used for fasteningthe release magnet on a table or the like. The fastening means 27 can bedesigned as dowel-like receivers for screws. However, many other typesof the fastening means 27 are conceivable for fastening the releasemagnet in a table.

FIG. 3 represents the release magnet in cross section A—A as shown inFIG. 1, in a vertical direction. The housing 20 is of one piece andencloses both the permanent magnet 10 and the magnetic force amplifyingring 11 completely and free of gaps. The permanent magnet 10 is locatedin the second holder 23 and is downwardly covered by a bottom 24. Towardthe top the permanent magnet 10 is also seamlessly covered by a cover25. The cover 25 is a bottom for the depression 22, which is used forreceiving corresponding parts of anti-theft devices. The first holder 26completely surrounds the magnetic force amplifying ring 11. At an upperend the first holder 26 makes a direct transition into the collar 21. Onits sides, the depression 22 has slightly inwardly inclined flanks,which simultaneously form an inner part of the first holder 26. In thisexample the fastening elements are designed as lateral projections onthe second holder 23 and have vertical bores for receiving screws.

The magnetic force amplifying ring 11 is arranged in the housing 20above and approximately centered with respect to the permanent magnet10. The poles of the magnetic force amplifying ring 11 and of thepermanent magnet 10 are arranged in such a way that like poles arelocated directly opposite each other and adjoining.

The manufacture of the release magnet in accordance with this inventionpreferably takes place by means of a direct, single piece extrusioncoating of the permanent magnet 10 and the magnetic force amplifyingring 11, in a single work step. The magnetic force amplifying ring 11 isat a slight distance from the permanent magnet 10. Both the permanentmagnet 10 and the magnetic force amplifying ring 11 are almostcompletely enclosed in the material of the housing 20. This givesfurther stability to the housing 20 and prevents all undesired directcontact with the magnetic materials. Small exhaust holes can be providedto accommodate the extrusion process, can be arranged in the bottom 24and can subsequently be closed. It is easily seen that the releasemagnet in accordance with this invention has no gaps, no threads, or thelike. For this reason neither humidity nor cleaning agents can reacheither the magnetic force amplifying ring 11 or the permanent magnet 10which are protected against soiling and corrosion. The plastic housingcan be washed. As a flat disk which runs out towards the outside, thecollar 21 cannot be grasped by pliers or other tools. It is also notpossible to remove the permanent magnet by unscrewing the inner part.Deliberate damage is practically impossible. The release magnets inaccordance with this invention can also be embodied with the housing 20in such a way that they can be erected on a table, screwed or glued onfrom above or below. Thus the collar 21 can also be formed on the lowerend of the release magnet and can have the fastening elements.

What is claimed is:
 1. A releasing magnet assembly for anti-theftdevices for sales goods, comprising: a. a first tubular portion having abottom end and a top end and closed at the bottom end thereof and havinga first bore, the first bore having a permanent magnet therein; b. asecond tubular portion having a bottom end and a top end and concentricwith the first tubular portion, and closed at its bottom end and havinga second bore sized for receiving an operative portion of the anti-theftdevices, the closed bottom end of the second tubular portion abuttingthe first tubular portion top end thereby enclosing the bore of thefirst tubular portion and sealing the magnet therein from environmentalfluids; c. a collar at said second tubular portion top end for aiding inmounting the releasing magnet assembly, the collar shaped to makedifficult the grasting of the assembly when in the mounted condition; d.wherein the collar is a conical shape with the large end of the coneabutting the top end of the second tubular portion; and e. first andsecond tubular attachments attached to the first tubular portion withbores therein for receiving of screws.
 2. The releasing magnet assemblyfor anti-theft devices for sales goods of claim 1, wherein the collar isa flattened conical shape.
 3. The releasing magnet assembly foranti-theft devices for sales goods of claim 1 wherein the second borehas an inwardly sloping wall from top end to bottom end.
 4. Thereleasing magnet assembly for anti-theft devices for sales goods ofclaim 1 wherein the permanent magnet is encased in the first tubularportion completely filling the first bore.
 5. A releasing magnetassembly for anti-theft devices for sales goods comprising: a. a firsttubular portion having a bottom end and a top end and closed at thebottom end thereof and having a first bore, the first bore having apermanent magnet therein; b. a second tubular portion having a bottomend and a top end and concentric with the first tubular portion, andclosed at its bottom end and having a second bore sized for receiving anoperative portion of the anti-theft devices, the closed bottom end ofthe second tubular portion abutting the first tubular portion top endthereby enclosing the bore of the first tubular portion and sealing themagnet therein from environmental fluids; and c. a magnetic shuntentirely encapsulated within the wall of the second tubular portion andpositioned to transfer flux from the permanent magnet to the secondtubular portion surrounding the second central bore.
 6. The releasemagnet of claim 5, wherein the second tubular portion has a greateroutside diameter than the first tubular portion.